Advocacy officer jobs

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The Global Advocacy & Influence Department is a dynamic team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients. From the drivers of conflict to the needs displaced people, the team partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to bring these solutions to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to new ideas and perspectives from others in the humanitarian sector and beyond.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England.

In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

Job Overview

As the Advocacy Officer, you are responsible for building the profile, influence and credibility of IRC’s work with UK politicians, political parties and opinion formers on our humanitarian and development issues. You will be delivering our influence strategies and identifying strategic lobbying opportunities and enabling colleagues to exploit them fully through the use of innovative and creative tactics that help IRC stand out in a crowded arena. You will support building critical strategic relationships to help deliver on IRC’s objectives in parliament. You will contribute fresh insights and analysis to inform IRC’s influence approaches, tactics, and messages.

Major Responsibilities:

• Advocacy Strategy: Support in delivering advocacy strategies, collaborating with the Advocacy Manager, policy leads, public advocacy and communications colleagues, to advance IRC’s key advocacy objectives. 

• Political and policy monitoring: Analyse and report on relevant political and policy trends and regularly communicate across external relations teams.Expand IRC’s political reach by tracking and analysing shifting government positions, individuals engaging on our issues, and the politics around our issues. Track political processes and profile opportunities / events; including bills, select committee inquiries, and other parliamentary and political developments. 
• Stakeholder management: Building and maintaining relationships with a core group of political champions in and around Westminster, whilst raising IRC’s profile and awareness of our positions on key issues among a wider political audience in order to increase our ability to deliver policy change.
• Political engagement: Developing and providing regular written or oral briefings to MPs, Peers, government officials, and other decision makers on key policies and campaigns. Producing specific asks to parliamentarians on a regular basis – parliamentary questions, debate contributions etc.

• Communications: Provide market and audience expertise to communications team to craft public advocacy in the UK. Support team in developing communications strategy and develop materials for advocacy targets, including digital/social content and take actions.
• Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate. 
• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and the ways we wield influence.

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports to: Advocacy Manager

Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues, Communications, Technical Excellence leads; International Programs leads, External Relations Department 

External contacts: Parliamentarians, government officials, key opinion formers, think tanks and sector colleagues in the UK. 

Job Requirements:

Work experience: 

• Experience in delivering advocacy strategies in the UK. 2 years + of experience working on development and humanitarian issues. 

Demonstrated skills and competencies: 

• Proven success in delivering successful strategies that influence/impact on legislative and executive policy.
• Good understanding of relevant the UK’s political structures and processes, and familiar with leverage points within these institutions that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives.
• Ability to innovatively and creatively apply influencing techniques and tactics to consistently make IRC stand out from the crowd in Westminster, Whitehall and with other key international stakeholders.

• Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues in the UK.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with parliamentarians and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields. 
• Strong writing skills and the ability to translate sophisticated material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers. 
• Experience of developing effective working relationships with colleagues, and working collaboratively in multi-disciplinary project teams.

• Ability to work quickly against deadlines. 

• Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues, and balance competing demands.